Flow device



Jan. 6,,1948. M. T. WORKS FLOW DEVICE Filed 001;. 11, 194:

i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 1 [Til Z MAD DEN T. WORKS iii 1 INVENTOR.

Jan. 6, 1948.

M. T. WORKS FLOW DEVICE Filed 001;. ,11, 1943 BYi' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LEGAL MADDEN T. WORKS INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 6, 1948 Madden T. Works, Houston, Tex., assignor to Cameron Iron Works, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application October 11, 1943, S eii'al No. 505,782

6 Claims. (01. 166-2) This invention relates to a means for providing appropriate connection between vertically spaced sources of flow production and the interior and exterior respectively of a flow tubing within a well, and has for its general object the provision of such a device which will make possible the flow from a lower producing zone through the annular space about the tubing to the surface of the ground and the flow from an upper producing zone through the tubing itself.

In finishing an ordinary oil or gas well, it is customary to run in a casing or large pipe and to cement this pipe in place either with its bottom end resting on the bottom of thewell or with its lower end anchored just above the lowermost producing formation with the cement serving the purpose of sealing off the leakage from higher formations through which the well passes. If the casing is set to the bottom of the well then it is perforated either mechanically or by shooting holes through it at the level of the lowermost producing formation. If the casing is set above the lowermost producing formation, then the hole may be left open at the bottom or a screen may be set extending downwardly from the lower end of the casing through the producing formation.

In either event there is then lowered into the casing a much smaller pipe known as a tubing. This tubing carries an element known as a packer which may be expanded after the tubing is in place with its lower end opposite the producing formation, so as to close the annular space between the tubing and the casing and make all fluid coming into the casing below the packer flow into the tubing and out of the well through the tubing. An example of one such form of packer is disclosed in the copending patent application of Herbert Allen, Serial No. 499,393, filed August 20, 1943, which has matured into Patent No, 2,418,493, issued April 8, 1947.

It sometimes happens that it is desired to produce a well from two formations at different levels simultaneously. Usually one such formation will be an oil producing formation and the other a gas bearing formation. In this event, if the gas bearing formation is the higher of the two formations, the well is completed just as before except that additional perforations in the casing are provided at the level of the higher producing formation so that the flow may also take place into the casingfrom this higher formation. The tubing and packer are then run as before and the packing set between the two setsof perforations or in other words between the levels of the two producing formations. In such a case it will be readily seen that the production from the lower formation will flow into the casing below the packer and thence up to the surface of the ground 7 through the tubing, but will be prevented from flowing up through the casing by the presence of the packer around the tubing, The production from the upper formation will simultaneously flow into the casing and up to the surface of the ground through the annular space about the tub- 7 ing within the casing.

However, in some cases a situation is encountered in which the upper of the two producing formations produces oil whereas the lower of such formations produces gas, and in such situations considerable difiiculty is encountered due to the fact that certain of the States have laws and regulations requiring that when a well is produced from two formationssimultaneously and one of those-is a gas bearing and theother an oil bearing formation, the flow from the oil bearing formation must take place through the tubing and that from the gas bearing formation through the annular space surrounding the tubing within the casing. It will readily be seen that with the conventional packer arrangement 'for setting the tubing with the packer located between the two producing formations, oil would be produced through the annular space surrounding the tubing in any case where the oil producing formation is the higher of the two. 7 V Y 7 It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device which will make possible the flow of production from ahigher formation ina well through a tubing extending into the well, and the independent and simultaneous production from a lower formation in the same well through the annular space surrounding the tubing.=

Another object of this invention is to provide such a device which will be a unitary assembly capable of being lowered on the tubing through which the well is to be produced and capable of being set in position and placed in flowing condition by manipulation of the tubing. I I Qther objects and advantagesof this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein isset forth by way of illustration and example but not byway of limitation one embodiment of this invention.

in thedrawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a, vertical cross section through a fragment of a well casing and well and illustrating diagrammatically the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the details of construction of the particular apparatus which has been devised and selected for the purposes of illustrating this invention, such device being shown prior to the time that it has been set and placed in condition for flow, and during the time that it is being lowered into a well on the flow tubing.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the device after it has been set and placed in flowing condition.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross section through the Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 and taken along the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings.

the numeral I illustrates a casing of a well and is shown in Fig. 1 as having perforations 2 through which flow may take place from an upper producing formation 3, and perforations 4 through which flow may take place from a lower producing formation 5.

In accordance with this invention, there is lowered on the customary flow tubing 6 a conduit assembly which carries upper and lower packers or seal forming means I and 8, these being adapted to seal between the conduit assembly and the inside of the casing I at a point above the upper producing formation 3 and at a point between the two producing formations 3 and 5 respectively.

It will be seen that the passageway leading into the flow tubing 6 has its entrance at the point 53 between the two packers I and 8, and that it is adapted to receive flow from the producing formation 3 between the two packers, this being the upper of the two producing formations, and, in the case above referred to, this formation would be producing oil which would thus be conducted upwardly to the surface of the ground through the flow tubing 6 in accordance with the laws and regulations of various States.

Secured to but independent of the passageway through the tubing 6 is a second conduit H) extending from a point above the upper packer I through the space between the two packers, and having its lower end I l disposed below the lowermost packer. It will be seen that flow may take place from the lowermost producing formation 5 through the perforations 4 in the casing and into the conduit I0 through the lower end thereof or through suitable perforations 12 which may be provided therein. This flow will then take place up through the conduit l0 and out through the upper end l3 thereof into the annular space within the casing about the tubing and thence to the top of the well through this annular space.

It will be understood that the lower packing represented by the numeral 8 in Fig? 1 may be provided by any well known tubing packer of the type ordinarily employed for completing wells in accordance with the prior art, one such packer for example being that illustrated in the copending application of Herbert Allen hereinbefore identified. The tubing connection extending upwardly from such conventional packer maybe represented by the lower portion of the conduit [0 in Fig. 1, and in order to provide the feature illustrated diagrammatically by the lower end of the tubing 6 in Fig. 1 and the upper end of the conduit Iii therein, and-a packing corresponding to the packer I, there has been devised an appa-" 4 ratus such as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, which will now be described in detail.

At the upper end of the apparatus just referred to, there is provided a fitting which may be termed a head [4 having a tubing connection at its upper end for the reception of the lower end of the flow tubing l5. At its lower end, this crossover head is provided with a central connection it leading to lateral passageways and ports ll, thus providing a passageway between the central part of the lower end of the head I 4 and the annular space [8 surrounding the outside of such head.

Concentric with the connection It and spaced radially outwardly therefrom is a connection H] from which communication is provided through j, longitudinal passageways 20 into the space 2| to provide a sliding seal within such coupling.

On the lower end of this conduit 22 there is placed anut 25 or other suitable abutment having laterally projecting splines or keys 26 thereon. These splines or keys 26 are adapted to slidingly engage the keyways 2'! within the nipple 28 which is secured to and extends downwardly from the special coupling 24. On the lower end of the nipple 23 is provided still another special couto the lower portion of the conduit H] in Fig. 1

. may be connected to the apparatus.

Connected to the head M by means of the connection 19 is an outer and larger conduit 32 which extends downwardly about and in spaced relation with respect to the conduit 22 thus providing an annular passageway between these two conduits. This conduit 32 passes through a packer abutment 33 and has a nut 34 threaded on to its lower end to prevent it from being pulled upwardly through such packer abutment. The packer abutment 33 is connected to the special coupling 24 by means of a perforated section of pipe 35, having perforations 36 therein. Interposed between the special coupling 24 and the nut 3 on the lower end of the conduit 32 and tending at all times to hold the conduit 32 in its uppermost position with respect to the coupling 24 and its associated parts is a spring 31.

Extending upwardly from the packer abutment 33 is a packer engaging lip 38 adapted to engage the lower portion of a, packer 39 and retain it in place in its embracing relation with respect to r the conduit 32. i

Opposed to the packer engaging lip 38 is a corresponding downwardly extending packer engaging lip iil on the lower end of the head I l in a position surrounding the conduit 32. This lip is adapted to engage and retain the upper end of a second packer ring M, and the adjacent ends of these two packer rings 39 and 4| are engaged and retained by the floating packer abutment 42 having downwardly and upwardly extending packer "engaging and retaining lips 53 and M for this leading to the outer face of such packer ring.

Fromthe foregoing it will be seen that my improved apparatus comprises an assembly in'the "form of an elongated I cture' made up of two parts longitudinally slidable with respect to each other and having packer rings interposed between adjacent portions thereof.

In operation, this apparatus which has just been described will, as above stated, becon'nected to the upper end of the tubing leading from an ordinary type of tubing packer, the tail pipe -31 of the present apparatus representing'such'tubin'g leading upwardly from the other packers may if desired be suspended from the same tubing and lowered into the well with suflicient pipe 31 therebetween to embrace the entire zone from which the upper part of the production emanates, this zone being represented in Fig. 1 by the perforations '2 in the casing. Assuming that a packer substantially similar to that illustrated in the copending application of Herbert Allen above identified is employed as the lower packer, sufficient tail pipe would be placed belowsuch packer so that'when the lower end of the tail pipe engaged thebottom of the well or a suitable obstruction therein, such packer would be positioned between the two sets of perforations 2 and 4. a

When the device thus assembled is lowered into a well and the lower end-of the lower tailpipe comes in contact with the bottom of the well, both packers may be set by lowering the weight of the tubing I5 thereon, this weight in the case of the packer illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 causing the head I4 and its associated conduits 22 and 32 to move downwardly into a closer telescoping association with the coupling 24, nipple 28, perforated pipe 35, and packer abutment 33. This movement will cause longitudinal compression of both of the packer rings 39 and 4| and will cause them to expand laterally into sealing engagement with the inner surface of the casing l as illustrated in Fig. 3.

It will be appreciated that if it should for any reason be necessary to transmit rotation from the tubing IE to the tail pipe 3| through the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, this may be accomplished by virtue of the spline connection between the nut 25 and the nipple 28. Such might be necessary in the case of certain types of lower packer which require rotation in connection with their setting operation.

With both packers set in the manner above described, it may be seen that production from the lowermost formationrepresented by the numeral 5 in Fig. 1 will take place through the lower portion of the lower packer and up through the tubing leading upwardly therefrom and represented by the numeral 31 in Figs. 2 and 3. This production in the above supposed case would be a flow of gas, and it would continue through the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 upwardly through the conduit 22 and thencethrough the passageways l1 into the annular space 18 surrounding the head and thence upwardly through the annular space surrounding the tubing to the surface of the ground.

Meanwhile, production from the perforations 2 between the two packers would flow into that space within the casing between the two packers and thence through the perforations 36 in the pipe 35 and into the annular space between the conduits 22 and 32. This annular space would conduct Such flow, which in the supposed case would be oil, to the upper end of the conduit 32 and thence through the passageways into the space 2| within the upper portion of the head l4. From this space 2! it would enter the lower end packer. Both of the tubing e [5 and thence new to the surface fillil'fllfglfl. the tubing in dES'ii'Ed 'of the ground manner.

it wi be see'n trim the roregoingtnst azmeans has been provided ier carrying out and accomplishing all of the objects and advantages sought by this invention.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A flow device comprising an elongated structure having two oppositely disposed endwise openings and two axially spaced lateral openings and independent longitudinally extending passageways each passageway connecting one of said endwise openings with th'e'lateral open-ing most remotethereirom, said structure including two relatively movable parts, and sealing means 'carried by said structure between said spaced lateral openings and between said-endwise openings and engageable by said parts for actuation to sealing position for forming a seal about said structure within a well casing. I r

'2. In a flow device, an assembly comprising relatively movable parts having opposed external shoulders movable toward each other as 'said parts are moved relative to each other, each :of said parts having an endwise flow pipe conne'ction and a lateral opening, and -cond1iit means connecting each flow pipe connection with the lateral opening on the other part, and an annular distortable packing embracing said assembly between said shoulders.

3. In a flow device, an assembly comprising relatively movable parts having opposed external shoulders movable toward each other as said parts are moved relative to each other, each of said parts having an endwise flow pipe connection and a lateral opening, and conduit means connecting each flow pipe connection with the lateral opening on the other part, each of said conduit means having a fluid tight joint with the part carrying the flow pipe connection with which it is connected, and an annular distortable packing embracing said assembly between said shoulders.

4. Apparatus useable for producing well fluid from a well bore having two producing formations, comprising two telescoping parts having confronting annular shoulders exteriorly thereof, packing material disposed between the shoulders and adapted in operation to be expanded radially into sealing engagement with a wellcasing upon sliding movement between the parts in a direction to reduce the distance between the shoulders, an end opening in each part, flow passages within said parts, each of said end openings communicating with one of said passages, the other end of each of the passages communicating with the exterior of the parts on the other I side of said packing material from its respective end opening, means for lodging one of the parts at a selected position within a well casing, the opening in the other of said parts adapted to receive a flow pipe whereby flow may be conducted through said flow pipe and the parts may-be moved relatively to each other to set the packing material by manipulation of said flow pipe.

5. Apparatus useable for producing well fluid from a well bore having two producing formations comprising two telescoping parts having confronting annular shoulders exteriorly thereof, packing material disposed between the shoulders and adapted in operation to be expanded radially into sealing engagement With a well casing upon sliding movement between the parts in a direction to reduce the distance between the shoulders, resilient means carried between the parts of said end openings communicating withone of said passages, the other end of each of the passages communicating with the exterior of the parts on the other side of said-packing material from its respective endopening, means for lodging one of the parts at a selected position within a well casing, the opening in the other of said parts adapted to receive a flow pipe whereby flow may be conducted through said flow pipe and the parts may be moved relativelyto each other to set the packing material by manipulation of said fiow pipe. a l 0 6. Apparatus useable .for producing well fluid from a well bore having two producing formations, comprising two telescoping parts having confronting annular shoulders exteriorly thereof, packing material disposed between the shoulders and adapted in operation to be expanded radially into sealing engagement with a well casing upon sliding movement between the parts in a direction to reduce the distance between the shoulders, key and groove means between the parts to hold them against relative rotational movement, an end opening in each part, flow passages within said parts, each of said end openingsfcommunicating with one of said passages, the other end of each of the passages communicating with the exterior of the parts on the other side of said packing material from its respective end opening, means for lodging one of the parts at a selected position within a well casing, the opening in the other of said parts adapted to receive a flow pipe whereby flow may be conducted through said flow pipe and the parts may be moved relatively to each other to set the packing material by manipulation of said flow pipe. MADDEN T. WORKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS "Number Name Date 2,041,439 7 Singleton May 19, 1936 2,297,020 Page Sept. 29, 1942 2,290,141 Burt July 14, 1942 2,274,407 Hammer Feb. 24, 1942 1,956,694 Parrish May 1, 1934 2,246,881 Fisher June 24, 1941 

